Luzerne County Head Start awards scholarships, honors community partners and staff at 61st Anniversary Luncheon

Supporters of Luzerne County Head Start gathered on May 18 to celebrate the agency’s enduring commitment to the community’s children and families. LCHS presented more than $20,000 in college scholarships to Head Start alumni and honored five community partners with awards. Staff, bus drivers and board members were also recognized for their years of service to the organization.

Geisinger Health Plan was the event’s exclusive Diamond-level sponsor for the third year in a row. Special guests included State Representatives Brenda Pugh, Eddie Day Pashinski and Alec Ryncavage.

Alumni Scholarship Program

Funded by businesses, organizations and individuals in the community, the LCHS Alumni Scholarship Program honors the achievements of former Head Start students set to graduate from high school and continue their education. LCHS awarded $20,775 in scholarships to 13 seniors from Luzerne and Wyoming counties, bringing the total to $401,725 since the program’s inception 40 years ago. This year’s scholarship recipients were:

Destiny Gittens, Wyoming Area Secondary Center: $3,000 Fran Williams Memorial Scholarship

Aiden Grula, Pittston Area High School: $2,500 Mary & Tom Sewatsky Family Scholarship

Nicole Castillo, Wilkes-Barre Area High School: $2,000 Benco Family Foundation Scholarship

Yahir Contreras, Wilkes-Barre Area High School: $2,000 Tomalis-Gatusky Family Scholarship

Ariel Chu, Wyoming Valley West High School: $2,000 Cross Valley Federal Credit Union Scholarship

Christian Stevens, Tunkhannock Area High School: $1,500 Eugene Hogan Memorial Scholarship

Laila Grayson, Pittston Area High School: $1,500 United Way of Wyoming Valley Scholarship

Jamie Wilczewski, Wyoming Valley West High School: $775 LCHS Board of Directors Lena Taylor Memorial Scholarship and $500 Church of Christ Uniting Scholarship

Angel Sandoval, Hazleton Area High School: $1,000 PNC Bank Scholarship

Kody Cox, West Side Career & Technology Center: $1,000 George & Ann Evans Memorial Scholarship

Briana Medina, Wilkes-Barre Area High School: $1,000 Luzerne County Bar Association Charitable Foundation Scholarship

Joel Tapia, Wilkes-Barre Area High School: $500 LCHS Policy Council Claudia O’Boyle Memorial Scholarship and $500 Delaney Family Scholarship

Justin Sosa Garcia, Wilkes-Barre Area High School: $500 Coombs Family Memorial Scholarship and $500 Pittston Tomato Festival Committee Scholarship

Scholarship - Group Photo — Pictured in the front row, from left: Destiny Gittens, Aiden Grula, Yahir Contreras, Nicole Castillo and Ariel Chu. Back row: Justin Sosa Garcia, Joel Tapia, Briana Medina, Kody Cox, Angel Sandoval and Jamie Wilczewski. Not pictured: Laila Grayson and Christian Stevens.

Heart of the Community Award

United Way of Wyoming Valley accepted the inaugural Heart of the Community Award, which is presented to an organization that serves as a vital and unifying force within the community. It recognizes those whose compassion, dedication and service bring people together while helping to build a stronger, more connected and caring community.

The longstanding partnership between LCHS and United Way is rooted in a shared commitment to supporting and uplifting the community’s most vulnerable children and families. United Way supports families in the Early Head Start home visiting program, helping to ensure infants and toddlers receive critical early support for healthy growth and development. They also sponsor Jump Start, a summer learning program that gives first-time Head Start children early access to the program. Last summer, the program faced possible cancellation due to a lack of funding. Thanks to United Way’s support, Jump Start continued, providing children most in need with the opportunities to build confidence, strengthen early learning skills and prepare for a successful school year.

Their commitment to the Head Start mission and the Wyoming Valley extends far beyond funding. From donating books and kindergarten readiness kits to organizing volunteers through the Day of Caring, United Way continually strengthens the community. LCHS is grateful for United Way’s dedication to the children and families of Head Start and beyond.

Heart of the Community Award - United Way of Wyoming Valley — Pictured from left: LCHS Executive Director Beth White, United Way of Wyoming Valley President & CEO Sara Peperno, and LCHS Assistant Executive Director Dawn Smith.

Head Start Hero Award

LCHS recognized Fork Over Love with the Head Start Hero Award, which is presented to a community partner that has gone above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of the agency’s children and families. They embody the mission of Head Start by supporting collaborative efforts that integrate connections between families and their communities.

Promoting nutrition and ensuring families are well fed is a key part of the Head Start mission, and Fork Over Love has been instrumental in these efforts through their innovative and compassionate approach to food insecurity. By delivering chef-made meals through partnerships with early education and childcare centers, family and health service centers, and low-income neighborhoods, they meet families where they are and ensure nutritious meals are accessible in meaningful and dignified ways.

Fork Over Love provides 475 meals each month to LCHS families in Wilkes-Barre, Edwardsville, Hazleton and Nanticoke and last year distributed 600 meals during the agency’s summer Health & Wellness Fairs. Their work not only addresses immediate needs, but also strengthens families and communities by reducing barriers to healthy food access and supporting the health and well being of those facing economic hardship.

The care, compassion and coordination behind each meal distribution reflect Fork Over Love’s commitment to serving others. LCHS is grateful to Fork Over Love, along with its volunteers and partner restaurants, for the positive impact they continue to make.

Head Start Hero - Fork Over Love — Pictured from left: LCHS Executive Director Beth White, Fork Over Love Board of Directors Chair Melissa Parente, and LCHS Assistant Executive Director Dawn Smith.

Outstanding Community Partners

The Outstanding Community Partner Award was created to recognize and celebrate individuals and organizations that have made meaningful contributions to LCHS and the families it serves.

This year, the agency recognized three community partners that have gone above and beyond in supporting the Head Start mission. They embody dedication, generosity and advocacy for children and families, and LCHS is proud to call them not only partners, but also friends. Their continued support and willingness to step in and help make a lasting impact. This year’s Outstanding Community Partners were:

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Dallas

Core-Mark

Luzerne County Community College’s Social & Behavioral Sciences Department